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by whenyoudesertme (phrenk)



Series: Androids [1]
Category: Arashi (Band), Japanese Actor RPF, Johnny's Entertainment
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, Robots
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-08-19
Updated: 2011-08-19
Packaged: 2017-10-22 19:40:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,179
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/241800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/phrenk/pseuds/whenyoudesertme
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prompt: "androids and robots"</p><p>Scientist Aiba and assistant Sho open a package of great importance.</p>
            </blockquote>





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**Author's Note:**

> Cross-posted [here](http://whenyoudesertme.livejournal.com/22284.html). Thanks for looking this over, Kinoface! ♥

"Don't get your hopes up, Aiba-chan," Sho said, wincing a little at the breathless, over-excited expression on Aiba's face. The scientist was bouncing up and down as his research assistant rolled the dolly with the person-sized box into the room.

"I'm not excited, it's just all of my dreams are about to come true," Aiba said, clearly attempting to be logical.

Sho sighed. "Go ahead then. But it won't be the same--"

It was too late for sense, he could see; Aiba was already wildly tearing at the packing tape, giggling a little under his breath.

The android was packed in foam peanuts, curled into the fetal position and seemingly asleep.

"Who knew they made sunburned androids?" Sho murmured, amused despite himself.

Aiba was poking around in the box as if the manufacturers had put two in by mistake and he just had to look under the first one to find the one he wanted.

"Masaki," Sho said sadly. "Each android is unique, you know that. I know you miss him, but ordering more androids from the company isn't going to bring him back."

"What will, Sho-chan?"

It was the hardest thing Sho had ever done to look into Aiba's forlorn eyes and tell him the truth.

*

They still needed an extra pair of hands around the lab, so despite Aiba's protests they powered up the new android. Aiba lifted it out of the box easily and deposited it in a chair, arranging its limbs carefully. Then he backed off, motioning for Sho to do the honors.

Sho could understand why he wouldn't want to do that, after--after the last one. He leaned in, stifling his qualms, and pressed his lips to the android's.

It took a second, but then the cold lips started to warm up, and from more than Sho's own body heat. He backed up, staring at the small figure, its incongruous tan and spiky hair, still feeling the imprint of its lips against his.

Aiba was tinkering with something on one of the counters, purposefully not looking as the android came to life.

It blinked, looking confused, and its eyes latched onto Sho, looking as if it was sure Sho had all the answers to the universe.

"Hello," Sho said, smiling a little at the dazed look on the android's face. It was cute. "What's your name?"

"Ohno," it rasped, then cleared a throat that had never been used. It tried again. "Ohno Satoshi."

"Satoshi, welcome to your new home. Do you have a gender preference?" A small but vocal faction of androids went by "it", proudly proclaiming their mechanical origins rather than adhering to human gender norms.

Its brow furrowed, then furrowed deeper as if it felt so natural it had to be done more.

"Ohno Satoshi," it repeated. "Male, thirty. Would like to go fishing."

Aiba looked up at that, seeming to see the android for the first time after the crushing realization that it wasn't who he wanted. "Fishing?"

Sho chuckled, hand coming up to brush a packing peanut off its--his--forehead. He stilled as the new android looked up at him, not with fear or interest, but ease, a sort of comfortable settling into place.

"Let's go fishing, then, Aiba-chan." He ignored Aiba's protests, saying, "It's the least we can do on his first day, and we'll be careful."

Ohno's head tilted curiously, then he shrugged. "Fishing," he said, sounding delighted.

*

Aiba refused to sit anywhere near the android on the boat, so Sho settled in close to him instead, growing fonder of the little guy by the moment. Satoshi was in his element, Sho could tell.

"Ah, feels good," Ohno said quietly, leaning into the wind.

"How did you know you'd like fishing?" Sho asked, curious. "Did they program you like that?"

Ohno didn't answer, looking like he didn't care much about anything that came before this moment. Sho smiled, then looked up the boat at Aiba's hunched form and frowned.

"He doesn't like me," Ohno said, still staring out at the water.

"No," Sho said, then cleared his throat. "I mean, there's a reason, and it isn't you."

"It isn't me," Ohno repeated, clearly understanding more than Sho had even meant to say.

"There was someone before you, another android," Sho said with difficulty. Aiba wasn't the only person grieving.

"A very important person."

"Yes. And he's gone now."

Ohno cast his line out into the ocean. "Where did he go?" His mild curiosity was soothing to Sho, though he wasn't sure why.

"Nowhere, really, except... well, we were having a picnic, by a lake, and Aiba-chan went for a swim... anyway, androids can't swim, can't be in the water at all--"

"Is that why you're holding onto me?" Ohno asked, calm as ever.

Sho looked down, surprised to see that he was holding Ohno's wrist in a death-grip. He tried to loosen it and realized he couldn't bring himself to.

"It doesn't hurt," Ohno said reassuringly. "I'm much stronger than I look. Hold onto this, please?" That had Sho letting go without realizing it, to take hold of Ohno's fishing rod. He found he couldn't breathe now that he wasn't holding onto the android, out on the water, so dangerous... then looked up to see that Ohno was picking his way up the boat to Aiba.

Ohno was ignored at first, then he said something that made Aiba's head shoot up, face painfully hopeful. It was only a minute before they were coming back toward Sho, and when Ohno sat down again and took back his fishing pole, Sho wrapped his hand around Ohno's wrist again without asking.

"Sho-chan, Sho-chan! Satoshi's going to help me fix Nino!"

"What, Aiba-chan, you know the company said that wasn't possible." Sho couldn't take Aiba's reckless hope all over again, not when he knew it could only end in more sadness. Their friend was gone.

"The company doesn't know everything, Sho-chan, Ohno says it's possible," Aiba said, a wild gleam in his eyes yet again.

"We won't give up." Ohno's voice was soft but clear, and Sho couldn't bring himself to argue further. Still, he didn't allow himself even a single moment of hope; all he could think of was Aiba's wrenching sobs when he couldn't start Nino up again. There was sudden warmth, and he saw that Ohno had placed a hand over his, still clenched on Ohno's wrist.

"You'll see, Sho-kun."

*

Aiba dragged what used to be Nino out of the closet where he'd been propped carefully. The broken android looked just as he had when he came to them in a box, waiting to be turned on. Sho had seen Aiba kiss those cold lips more times than he could count, and every time he'd hoped against reason that it would be the time that Nino's eyes opened.

"Water," Ohno mused, kneeling next to the android's body. He ran his fingers over Nino's face, pausing at his moles and neatening his bangs, then rested his hand over Nino's sternum.

"He's still in there," Aiba said. "Our Nino."

"Yours because you bought him?" Ohno asked, looking up at Aiba without judgment.

"Because we loved him," Sho answered, not meeting Ohno's eyes.

Ohno nodded. "I've heard tell of a way to save water-logged machines," he said conspiratorially. Sho leaned in closer despite himself.

"Nino's not a machine!" Aiba said indignantly.

"Yes, he is," Ohno said gently. "It's not an insult."

"Right," Aiba said, abashed. "Can you fix him?"

"Let's go buy some rice," Ohno said, holding out his hand. Sho hoisted him to his feet, pulling his hand away when it seemed like Ohno would hold on. Ohno didn't blink at that, just walked next to Sho as he explained.

*

"If this seriously works, I'm writing the company an angry letter," Sho said.

"If this seriously works, let's keep Nino and Ohno and never deal with that company again. And eat rice three times a day, and maybe write songs about our love for Nino and how happy we are he's back, though he'd hate that--"

"Aiba-chan." Sho held himself back from saying it wasn't going to work, that it was a fool's hope, but he was sure Aiba could see it in his eyes.

"Let's give it a day," Ohno said from behind them. "How about we go get something to eat? I've never had ramen but I'm pretty sure it's my favorite."

"I know just the place," Sho said, tugging Aiba away from the vat of rice with their broken friend inside.

*

That night Ohno came to Sho's room.

"Do you need anything?" Sho asked, worried.

"If the rice doesn't work, we'll try something else," Ohno said. "So don't tell Aiba-chan not to hope, because we're going to bring Nino back."

Sho didn't say anything for a moment. Then, "Why do you care so much, Satoshi?"

Ohno shrugged, coming in to sit on Sho's bed. "He's your friend. I think I can help him, and you bought me so that I'd help you."

"Aiba-chan was convinced you'd be Nino reborn," Sho said, horribly honest.

"Then if I fix Nino..." Ohno started. He met Sho's eyes, and Sho thought he was holding something back. "Then I can be my own person here, to you, and not a failed replacement for Nino."

Sho was silent, staring at Ohno. "You're your own--"

"Plus," Ohno interrupted. "I don't know how to do anything around the lab. So really, getting Nino back is my top priority."

"Because..." Sho said stupidly.

"Otherwise I'll have to learn," Ohno said, then laughed at Sho's expression. Sho couldn't help laughing along.

*

The next morning, Sho came downstairs to find Aiba sitting on the floor with his back leaning against the vat, looking ready to jump out of his skin.

"Oh-chan," Aiba said questioningly.

"I'm here," Ohno said from behind Sho. He rested his hand on Sho's shoulder for the barest of moments before he was walking across the room to Aiba.

"It's been 24 hours, I have to know," Aiba said, scrambling to his feet. Sho came over and hugged Aiba from behind, trying to soothe Aiba as best he could, and stealing a little comfort for himself, too.

Ohno reached in and tugged the stiff body up through the rice, carefully brushing all the grains off the pale face. He motioned Aiba forward, and Sho let go, praying to anyone that might be listening, praying against all his logical thoughts, praying and praying for Nino, and for Aiba, even for Ohno.

Aiba put a hand on Nino's cheek. "Come back," he said, then leaned in to kiss his unmoving friend.

After a few seconds he backed away, already beginning to cry. Sho's heart clenched with pain, and he felt like he was about to collapse, but Ohno was still, only looking at the android in the rice.

Suddenly Nino erupted upward, crying out, "Aiba, Aiba, you idiot, don't die--"

"Nino!" Aiba yelled, running toward the vat. Sho fell to his knees, feeling all his repressed hope flood into his heart and become a tangible, painful warmth. Nino.

The revived android was still babbling, wide-eyed, but Aiba got him by the shoulders and shook him gently, babbling right back in soothing tones. Finally Nino threw his arms around Aiba, holding on for dear life, and Aiba walked backward, pulling him out of the vat. He didn't put Nino down, just held him tightly. Sho walked forward and wrapped his arms around both of them, sandwiching Nino in the middle.

*

When Aiba finally let go of Nino, and vice versa, Nino cast his eyes toward the other android in the room, who'd faded into the background as soon as Nino came to life.

"How long did you wait to replace me, Aiba-chan?" Nino groused.

"Satoshi saved your life!" Aiba said, pulling Ohno into a quick hug, then turning back with a growing scowl on his face. "Speaking of which, Ninomiya Kazunari, what the hell were you doing going into the water? We could have lost you forever!"

"We could have lost _you_ forever, moron," Nino said, not backing down an inch.

"You were very brave," Ohno said, looking sleepy.

"How do you feel, Nino?" Sho asked.

"Shaky. And like I'll be picking rice from awkward places for years to come."

"Now that you're powered on again, your body should fix itself," Ohno said, coming closer. He looked deeply into Nino's eyes, and for a second they stood unnaturally still.

"Nino? Satoshi?" Aiba peered at them, then bent down to look from a different angle as if that would clarify things.

"How interesting," Nino said, smiling slowly at Ohno.

"What is? I want to know, too!" Aiba demanded. Nino turned away, ignoring him.

"We should call Jun-kun," Sho said hastily. "Since Nino's back."

"Nino's back!" Aiba leaped onto Nino, laughing joyfully.

"Five minutes back and you're already trying to break me again," Nino crabbed.

Ohno came over to stand beside Sho.

"Thank you, Satoshi," Sho said quietly. This time when Ohno's hand grasped his, Sho didn't pull away.


End file.
